"These old bones will tell your story These old bones will never lie These old bones will tell you surely What you can't see with your eye These old bones, I shake and rattle These old bones, I toss and roll And it's all in where they scatter Tells you what the future holds" Oh, she lived up on the mountain 11 miles or so from town With a one-eyed cat named Wink A billy goat and a blue tick hound Her graying hair was braided And wrapped around her head And her dress was long and faded And her home a rusty shed In a little pouch of burlap Tied with a piece of twine There were bones all shapes and sizes Gathered through the course of time She'd throw them out before you She swore that she could see The present, past, and future She could read your destiny Everybody knew about her Came to get their fortune read Concerning health and wealth and power Who to love and when to wed "Well, I just like helping people I'm just glad that I could help Well, I know everybody's secrets But I keep it to myself" "These old bones will tell your story These old bones will never lie These old bones will tell you surely What you can't see with your eye These old bones, I shake and rattle These old bones, I toss and roll And it's all in where they scatter Tells you what the future holds" Some called her a witchy woman Some said she was insane Some said she was a prophet Still everybody came "Just because a body's different Well, that don't make them mad Well, they've crucified a many For the special gifts they've had" I had often heard about her Dreamed about her now and then For I, too, was clairvoyant Came about when I was ten I was fascinated with her And the things I'd heard about And I knew some day I'd meet her And one day it came about "Well, I knowed that you's a-comin' I could feel it in my bones These old bones have also told me That I won't be here for long Did you know that you got adopted? Did you know you once't was mine? But the county took you from me Said I wasn't right in mind" "But I just knowed I had to see you 'Fore these bones was laid to rest So I conjured up a message It musta worked, I guess This gift runs in the family I know you also know And I passed this gift on to you These old bones, they're just for show" "These old bones will tell your story These old bones will never lie These old bones will tell you surely How to livin', when you'll die These old bones, I shake and rattle These old bones, I toss and roll And it's all in where they scatter Tells you what the future holds" I held her hand while she was dying And with the funeral through I headed on back up the mountain For Billy, Wink and Blue And that little pouch of burlap With those bones so worn and old She gave me something special Now every time I throw "These old bones will tell your story These old bones will never lie These old bones will tell you surely What you can't see with your eye These old bones, I shake and rattle These old bones, I toss and roll And it's all in where they scatter Tells you what the future holds" "Now I can't tell you what you want to hear (these old bones) I just tell you what I see (these old bones) It's these old bones talking (these old bones) Blame it on them; don't pack it on me (these old bones) It's just like that time that there boy died (these old bones) Up at the sawmill (these old bones) Well, I know'd who done it, but I never said (these old bones) And I know'd when somebody is a cheating (these old bones) Or when somebody's baby was going to be born dead (these old bones) But unless somebody just plain out and asked me (these old bones) Well, I just figured there is no point (these old bones) Going around acting like you know everything (these old bones) Just because you might (these old bones) Ah, you know girl I want you to take these bones (these old bones) Because I don't want no young of mine going around unprepared (these old bones) You just remember that the magic is inside you (these old bones) There ain't no crystal ball" (these old bones)

Ain't no soul left in these old shoes Since you been gone (baby) We ain't together, while shines up leather And put them on (baby) Though I still feel the rhythm Can't do no dancin' without There ain't no soul left these old shoes (no soul, baby) Since you been gone (you been gone) These old laces that took me places They just won't tie, baby The music is playing, I just don't care I seem to cry, mm Though I still feel the rhythm Can't do no dancin' without There ain't no soul left in these old shoes (no soul, baby) Since you been gone (you been gone) Baby Baby Baby Ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh 'Til you come back, honey, gonna stay Underneath my bed They wanna dance, but don't get the chance 'Cause like I said Though I still feel the rhythm Can't do no dancin' without There ain't no soul leftbin these old shoes (no soul, baby) Since you been gone (you been gone) There ain't no soul left in these old shoes (no soul, baby) Since you been gone, baby (no soul, baby) No soul, soul, soul, soul (no soul, baby) (No soul, baby) (No soul, baby)

Got no business crying, living out beyond the blue High on paper mountain, where you live the lie you choose Turn to face your neighbors and you never meet an eye The currents overtake, the ink's not even dry High on paper mountain, where the black river flows Where peace is just a legend no one knows But the old gods have fallen, people watched them go So will paper mountain You're reading that old story, it's a dire circumstance You comment on the image, a little face behind the fence The mission bells are ringing for a mother and a child You say all the news is bad and you're on to something else High on paper mountain, where the black river flows Peace is just a legend and no one knows But the old gods have fallen, the people watched them go So will paper mountain The desert night is stirring as paper mountain moves The Rio's running wild and the cactus are in bloom She's clinging to her freedom and her peace beneath the stars The eagle spreads her talons, there's a rattle in the dark High on paper mountain, where the black river flows Where peace is just a legend and no one knows But the old gods have fallen, the people watched them go So will paper mountain

How long, how long must I run 'Fore my shadows have left my side for good Until my eyes can no longer lie as they do But oh, how soon, how soon will you fly Away where your angel once stood Next to nothing, his heart was pure and seemed true Well, my dear, my dearest friend Wild and troubled, is it my cold hands you fear Or the world that lies behind their touch Oh, how soon, how soon will you fly? Away to a kinder hope, its clear Next to nothing a world I'll never know Oh, how long, how long must I seek Stones this world has left unturned And hold them high, just before they're thrown And oh, how soon, how soon will you fly? My eyes can no longer wait unknowing 'Cause next to nothing you are all I want And next to nothing you are all I want

These excuses are useless We've run aground again Another day in the gutter Making one for every year we've spent together My baby used to sing all night Now she's sound asleep She settled down with a ramblin' man And found the gentle side of me We'll make time, and take time But maybe I'm no good 'Cause I have showed her these lies Long enough to know now that I should My baby used to sing all night Now she's sound asleep She settled down with a ramblin' man And found the gentle side of me Moments, just fleeting times With little wings of gold Remind us of how rare we find True love in every sign We're gettin' older My baby used to sing all night Now she's sound asleep She settled down with a ramblin' man And found the gentle side of me

Take this heart of gold and melt it down And I'll come around I'll come around I'm treading lightly in your eyes Honey, I can't live a lie But a life without you could never steal me now With so much time to spend Why paint this house again? When the floorboards creak and pull you from your slumber Well, I'd hold you 'til the end But honey, even oaks must bend If we intend to stick with one another So take this heart of gold and melt it down And I'll come around I'll come around I'm treading lightly in your eyes And honey, I can't live a lie But a life without you could never steal me now Out the door and down the drive There's a part of me that tries To keep that highway's call to me away And another, further still That sadly never will Feel at home no matter how long I may stay So take this heart of gold and melt it down And I'll come around I'll come around I'm treading lightly in your eyes And honey, I can't live a lie But a life without you could never steal me now

Oh, why would you try to be so unkind? Your laughter echoes in my head Leave it alone, leave it alone, leave it alone I'm reminded Don't forget about the dead If I could go walking with you by my side Would you be so unkind, so unkind? You could do all the talking, just speak your mind Free your mind Well you found you had a voice And the world stopped to listen But you had nothing good to say Now you're alone, digging for bones, buried in your phone for hours What a waste of a day If I could go walking with you by my side Would you be so unkind, so unkind? You could do all the talking, just speak your mind Free your mind I hope you find a better way I hope you find I hope you find a better way To be kinder

Old man give me endless time Never let these ties sever It's breaking bottles in the yard Never still my mind again Mmm Like old ties and companions Just sittin' on the fence The tunes we've carried through the years will change And man, that's just enough To keep these ghosts around those haunted fields Mmm Like old ties and companions You and I, we're just passing through It's a hundred thousand miles of lonely track Holding back tomorrow Someday I'll hop along and ride it home But old ties and companions We never leave alone So old man give me endless time, never let these ties sever 'Cause heaven knows and all this fooling around These times won't last forever, after all